A burn is a serious injury to the skin and deeper tissues that occurs when exposed to high and low temperatures, electricity, chemicals or radiation. When it occurs, one should not hesitate: it is urgent to provide first aid to the victim and do it correctly.
From this article you will learn about the prevention of burns, their classification, first aid to the victim and associated injuries.
The structure of the skin and its damage when exposed to critical temperatures
Epidermis - superficial layer. Provides protection to the body from the environment. The epidermis is multi-layered. Each layer is different in its cellular structure. There are five in total:
- basal;
- prickly;
- grainy;
- shiny;
- horny.
Depending on the fire damage of different tissue depths and different layers of the epidermis, the degree of burn will vary.
The dermis consists ofconnective tissue. Due to the content of collagen in it, it gives the skin elasticity. The dermis consists of papillary and reticular layers.
The layers of the dermis are involved in thermoregulation. Their he althy state is able to restrain thermal effects for some time and protect deeper tissues from damage.
Hypodermis is, in fact, subcutaneous fat. He althy hypodermis serves as a reliable protection of internal organs from thermal effects of various nature and mechanical damage.
Classification of burns by degree of injury
Given the strength of thermal effects and the depth of tissue damage, medicine distinguishes the following degrees of burns:
- first and second degree: superficial or complete defeat of the epidermis (there is an almost complete restoration of the skin without the formation of scars and scars);
- third degree A and B: superficial or complete damage to the dermis (with such a strong degree of thermal exposure in 85% of cases, deep scars remain for the rest of life);
- fourth, most serious degree: damage to all three layers of the skin (complete irreversible deformation of the skin occurs, followed by violation of its main purpose).
Thermal burns: treatment and causes
This type of damage requires contact with fire, boiling water or steam.
- When exposed to fire, the face, hands, upper body and respiratory tract are affected. First Aidthe victim is characterized by difficulty and confusion in removing burnt clothing. This often provokes the development of an infectious process.
- Both children and adults are often scalded with boiling water. Most often, the skin of the legs, feet, abdomen, and hands suffer. When scalding with boiling water, urgent treatment is necessary in a hospital. First aid consists in trying to remove clothes from the victim, cooling the affected area and promptly calling doctors.
- Steam most often causes thermal burns of the first or second degree of complexity. Housewives and children are most often affected. First aid for thermal burns with steam is to treat the affected area with cool water.
Actions in case of burns with a hot object
Injury to the surface of the skin by hot objects is a very serious and common injury. It can be a frying pan, an iron, kitchen utensils straight from the stove. At the site of impact, as a rule, clear boundaries of the object remain, which subsequently remain for life in the form of scar tissue. First aid is to quickly call an ambulance.
In no case should you try to tear off damaged pieces of skin on your own, apply oil, sour cream, ointments and so on. If possible, the affected area should be freed from tissue and clothing as much as possible. Then call an ambulance.
Prevention of thermal burns
Prevention of thermal burns is as follows:
- Do not leave hot cooking utensils within reach of children.
- Do not leave the iron and electric stove on.
- Be careful when using the steamer.
- Don't go away for long periods and leave your kids alone.
- Make sure that there is no iron or kettle turned on in the children's reach.
Chemical burns: nuances of treatment and causes of occurrence
Contact with the skin of special caustic substances is the cause of complex burns. Treatment and prevention of chemical burns differ in duration and serious measures.
Most often, burns from acid and alkali occur in factories and enterprises. In such conditions, all employees must undergo strict fire safety training and know the rules for handling flammable liquids and chemicals - this is the basis of prevention in this case. After receiving chemical burns, serious and long-term treatment in a hospital is required.
Contact with the epidermis of the following technical substances provokes a chemical burn:
- The influence of technical acids most often causes relatively shallow lesions. After exposure, a burn scab is formed. It prevents the penetration of acids and pus into the depths of the skin.
- When exposed to caustic alkali on the dermis, it is deeply damaged. The most common burns are second and third degree.
- S alts of some heavy metals provoke damage to the epidermis and dermis. Often causes burnsthird degree. Needs hospitalization. After the defeat of large areas of the skin, the victim is assigned a disability.
Electrical burns
Electric burns occur when the human body interacts with conductive material. The best measure to prevent such burns is to strictly observe safety procedures when using electrical appliances in businesses and at home.
Electric current affects the entire body through the blood. To a lesser extent - through the skin, bones, muscle tissue. A mortal danger to life is a current whose strength exceeds 0.1 A.
Medics divide electrical burns according to the force of impact into:
- low voltage;
- high voltage;
- supervoltage.
This is a complex type of burn that results in extensive internal damage and is often fatal. As a rule, there is a mark on the body of the victim. This is the point of entry and exit of the electrical discharge. With such a serious burn, first aid is practically impossible outside the hospital. In most cases, surgery is required.
Burns due to radiation exposure
A fairly rare type of damage. Adults are most often affected. Such burns are provoked by the following factors:
- The effect of ultraviolet radiation on the skin. Occurs mainly in the summer. The burns are not deep, but are characterized by a large area of damage. Doctors referthem to the first and second degree.
- Ionizing radiation damages the skin without affecting internal organs. The regeneration process is slowing down.
- Infrared radiation often causes damage to the eyes. In most cases, the retina and cornea need urgent medical treatment. Depending on the intensity of the radiation and the duration of exposure, burns can be either first or third degree.
Prevention of sunburn
The most common cause of sunburn is excessive sun exposure during the summer. Scandinavian and light European skin types are most susceptible to this kind of damage. For such skin, you need to choose a protective agent with a maximum protection factor. Measures to prevent burns will help to avoid them:
- From ten o'clock in the morning to sixteen o'clock in the evening, direct sunlight should be avoided, since at this time they are most active.
- Before going out into the open sun, always apply SPF cream (with an ultraviolet filter) to bare skin - it will prevent burns.
During the summer holidays at sea, the risk of such damage is especially high, so do not neglect these simple rules.
Prevention and first aid for burns resulting from sun exposure is to stop exposure to a dangerous source. It is urgent to remove the patient from the sun, placing him in a cool room. On the forehead should be put coldwet compress.
Prevention of burns and injuries is always easier to achieve than their subsequent treatment. Therefore, it is easier not to go out in the sun at lunchtime - this is the easiest way to avoid long-term treatment.
Prevention of household burns
According to the statistics of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia, most burns occur in domestic conditions. Alas, teenagers and children are often the victims. And the cause of their injuries is lack of concentration and irresponsibility of parents. Prevention of frostbite and burns has much in common: first of all, it is an attentive and responsible attitude to order and safety and knowledge of the rules of first aid.
Compliance with simple rules of household safety will successfully avoid burns and injuries associated with them:
- Do not use or keep electrical appliances with damaged insulation in the home.
- When unplugging the device from the outlet, hold the plug base directly. Do not pull the wire, this is fraught with a short circuit in the wiring and subsequent fire.
- Do not repair electrical appliances and wiring in the apartment yourself.
- In a damp room, limit the use of electrical appliances.
- Children should not be left behind.
- Make sure that there is no iron or kettle turned on in the children's reach.
- The hot burners of the electric stove, pans and pots on the stove should be isolated from the child.
- Must have with older childrenexplanatory conversations, inform about fire fighting actions.
- Smoking in bed is a common cause of household fires.
- It is necessary to install and adjust fire alarms in places where the likelihood of ignition is maximum.
- It is recommended to have a fire extinguisher in the house.
First aid step by step
Everyone should know what to do when they get thermal damage. Prevention of burns and first aid provided competently is very important.
Here is a step by step instruction:
- elimination of thermal source - fire, iron, boiling water, steam, acid, electricity;
- cooling affected areas with room temperature water or air;
- calling and waiting for ambulance staff;
- application of an aseptic bandage - possible only if the person providing assistance has the necessary skills;
- pain relief - in the presence of special anesthetic drugs.
Conservative first aid for burns
If the damage is superficial, then you can provide the patient with conservative first aid on their own. This is possible with burns of the first and, at most, second degrees. Therapy is also used in case of deep lesions, after the patient is in the hospital and surgical intervention.
Conservative patient care is as follows:
- closed method - applying dressings and compresseswith anesthetic and antibacterial medicine;
- open way - the use of bacterial filters, disinfecting UV lamps, exposure to special irradiating and healing devices.
Prevention of burn complications cannot be adequately carried out by a person without medical education. Regardless of the degree of injury received, it is necessary to show the patient to the doctor, he will prescribe a course of pharmacological treatment and prescribe physiotherapy.
